Miami (AFP) – The Tampa Bay Rays will play their 2025 season at the New York Yankees pre-season training facility in nearby Tampa, the Major League Baseball club announced on Thursday. The Rays will play home games at open-air George M. Steinbrenner Field after damage last month from Hurricane Milton destroyed the roof on their ballpark, Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.
An assessment report unveiled this week said the venue would not be available for games before the start of the 2026 campaign, even as the Rays have plans to build a new stadium in time for the 2028 season. “We deeply appreciate that the Yankees have graciously allowed us to play at Steinbrenner Field for the 2025 season,” Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg said. “The hurricane damage to Tropicana Field has forced us to take some extraordinary steps.”
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Steinbrenner Field is the largest ballpark used by MLB clubs for pre-season contests, with just over 11,000 seats. The Rays averaged 16,515 spectators a game in 2024, placing third-worst in MLB, just ahead of Miami and the Oakland A’s, who averaged 11,528 and will move to a 14,000-seat minor-league ballpark in Sacramento, California, for at least three seasons starting in 2025 before relocating to Las Vegas.
“Given the significant challenges caused by Hurricane Milton, I appreciate the hard work and collaboration between the two teams that allowed the Rays to make the best decision for next season,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said. “This outcome meets Major League Baseball’s goals that Rays’ fans will see their team play next season in their home market and that their players can remain home without disruption to their families.”
The Yankees will continue to play pre-season contests at their Tampa facility in 2025 while the Rays train as usual in Port Charlotte, Florida, before moving into Steinbrenner Field when the regular season begins in late March. “In times like these, rivalry and competition take a back seat to doing what’s right for our community,” Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said.
The Rays said the Yankees facility was chosen as a temporary home because it was the best-prepared option in the Tampa Bay region to host MLB contests. The stadium was already being renovated to improve clubhouse facilities, lighting, plus training and rehabilitation areas.
© 2024 AFP
